Urethral dilator



May 1o, 1949.

F'ileclv June l2, 1946 F. J. WALLACE 2,469,906

URETHRAL DILATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 10, 1949. F. J. WALLACE URETHRAL DILA'IOR Filed June` 12, 194e 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' m INVENTOR.

ATTURZYEY @Enge/cfr LIM/AL L A05 Patented May 10, 1949 URETHRAL DILATOR Frederick J. Wallace, New York, N. Y., assigner to American Cystoscope Makers, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June i2, 1946, serial No. 676,216

(ci. 12s-7) 2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to surgical instruments and pertains, in one of its more specific aspects, to such instruments for readily and effectively dilating female ureters under conditions of water cystoscopy.

The practice heretofore in the dilation of female ureters has usually been by means of an open type of endoscopic tube containing a conventional lens system, the introduction of the dilating bougie into a urethral orice being followed by direct vision. This procedure has been unsatisfactory for a number of reasons. For one thing, the field of vision, when using the devices hitherto known to the art, is very limited, making it extremely diiiicult for the operator to locate a urethral orice. Also, many diiculties are encountered by the operator in directing the bougie into the urethral orifice and in effecting a proper dilation,

The generally known types of cystoscopes are not suited to urethral dilation procedures as they are not constructed so as to accommodate and direct the dilating tip of a dilating bougie to the required position for entry into a urethral orice. Cystoscope sheaths must necessarily be of limited cross-sectional area, to the end that they may be introduced into body passages without causing undue discomfort to the patient and in order to minimize the possibility of shock and the danger of traumatization. The usual accessories carried within a cystoscopic sheath, including the surgical telescope, dividing fins, guides and other auX- iliary devices, occupy so much space that there is not sufficient room to permit the successful passage ofl the dilating tip of a bougie a boule or similar instrumentality. For these reasons, cystoscopic instruments have not in the past been capable of being satisfactorily or successfully used in such operative procedures as the dilation of ureters.

,The present invention contemplates a cystoscopic instrument that is adapted to be readily and advantageously employed with a conventional bougie a boule for the dilation of a ureter. The sheath of the instrument is of such size and the parts are so constructed and arranged as to permit the ready passage of a bougie boule through the sheath and to facilitate manipulation of the bougie a boule so as to introduce the same into a urethral orifice under close and direct vision conditions.

The instrument comprises an endoscopic sheath, preferably oval in cross section and having an elongated lateral fenestra at its distal end. A member is adapted to `be kinserted into the sheath in a manner to divide the interior thereof into a iirst compartment, for the reception of a surgical telescope that carries a lamp for providing illumination, and a second compartment through which a bougie a boule or other instrumentality is adapted to be passed. Pivotally mounted at the foremost end of the dividing member is a deiiector for directing the forward end of the bougie a boule through the sheath fenestra. The instrument includes valve control conduits for introducing and withdrawing irrigating liquids into and from the sheath.

One of the outstanding features of the invention resides in an improved and simplified mechanism for actuating the deiiector. This mechanism includes a lever oscillatory about an axis normal to the axis of the sheath and having an operating handle and a pair of arms. A pair of rods pivotally connected at their opposite ends to the deiiector and a corresponding arm of the lever is reciprocable through guiding means, in-

cluding tubular guides carried by the dividing member on its telescope compartment side. The deector rods and lever are so constructed and arranged that pivotal movement is imparted to the defiector in response to oscillatory movement of the lever.

As will be apparent from the detailed description that follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the various devices of the instrument of this invention are so arranged as to permit of their ready assembly, manipulation and dismantling, as may be required. The parts bear such relationship to each other as to obtain a relatively small compact unit having a passage (instrumentality compartment) of sufi cient size to accommodate a bougie a boule or similar instrumentality and permit its manipulation under conditions of illuminated and adequate vision.

It is an important object of the invention to provide an instrument of the character indicated which is adapted to carry out vvarious operative procedures within body cavities, such as the dilation of female ureters.

This invention has for another object the pro- Vision of a cystoscopic instrument so constructed and arranged as to permit the passage and manipulation of a ileXible instrumentality, such as a bougie boule.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dei'lector, for directing a flexible instrumentality through the fenestra of a cystoscopic instrument,

with an actuating means of improved and simpliy fled construction.y

A further object of the invention is to provide an instrument for eiectively dilating ureters under conditions of water cystoscopy and illuminated vision.

The invention has for a still further object the provision of an instrument of the type indicated that is relatively simple and compact in design, that' is reasonable in original and maintenance costs, that may be readily assembled and dismantled without the use of tools; thatV has its parts so arranged as to be easily and' separately sterilized; and that is capable' of performing its intended functions in a satisfactory and trouble-free manner.

The foregoing objects, as well as other objects,V

together with the advantages attainable by the practice of this invention, will` be readily understood by persons versed in the art upon reference to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, that respectively describe and illustrate an arrangement of devices embodied in a preferredA form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is' a View in side elevation of an instrument constructed in accordance with this invention Figure 2 is-V a centrai longitudinal cross-sectional view of the instrument shown in Figure 1`=;

Figure 3 isa top plan view of the instrument illustratedl in- Figure 1 withV parts omitted;

Figure l is al central longitudinal cross-sec tional view similar to Figure 2 and illustrating certain parts in another relative position and showing a bougie boule extending through the instrument;

Figure 5 is a side elevational View of one of the. units of the instrument;

Figures 6, 7 and 8 are enlarged cross-sectional views: taken along lines 5mt, lland i-il, respectively, of Figure l; and

Figure 9 is a side elevational View of an obturator for use with the instrument at the time the instrument is inserted into a body passage.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the instrument of this invention includes an oval endoscopic sheath It. having an elongated lateral fenestra. Il at its forward end. rEhe foremost edgeY portion of the ienestra is provided with a U-shaped thickened part i12 formedY in the manner and for the purposes described in detail. in

Reinhold H. Wappler Patent 1,703,216v granted February 26, 1929, to which reference may be had.Y Sheath: illI has an integral rearward extension: r3 that is circular in cross section (Figure;l 8) and externally threaded for engagement with corresponding internal threads in. the forwaard*` end of a hollow coupling` unit ld. This unit carries a pair of diametrically opposed nipples lafor the transmission and withdrawal of irri'.- gating liquid into and from the interior of sheathy I0, as allowed by control valves i6. Secured to the rearward end of coupling unit i4 isa locking unit` Il that has a laterally extendingy operating handle- IS andA that is preferably the saine as or similar to the: locking` mechanism disclosed inL Reinhold H. Wappler Patent 1,886,551 granted October 4, 1932, to which reference maybe had for details of` construction.

Turningv nextto: Figure 5, I have illustrated therein'.I a. unitary assembly- 2u that is adapted toi be readily inserted into and 'moved' along sheathi I0 and removably connected to coupling unit I4 through the medium of locking unit l1. Assembly 2t comprises a body 2| having a frustro-conical forward portion 22 that carries a pair of laterally projecting locking pins 23. Within body 2l is a plurality of through longitudinal and preferably parallel passages including, a telescope receiving passage 'Z4' and a passage"v 25',A communicating with a curved guide tube 2'6, for receiving an instrumentality, such as a bougie boule or other iiexible device.

Secured to body 2i and extending forwardly thereof is a tubular element 29 that is in axial alignment and: communication with passage 25. The major portionV of tubular element 29 is cut away longtiudinally to obtain an arcuate member 3d. When. member 36 is inserted into sheath lli, and. assembly 2li is coupled to unit I4 through the medium of locking unitill'l and locking pins '23, the parts above described assume the relative position illustrated in- Figures 2, '7 and 8'. At such tunes arcuate member 3G is disposed across and divides the interior of sheath IU into anupper compartment 3-5 for the reception of abougie a boule or other instrumentality and a lower coni-4 partment SE for the receptionof a telescope stem. Aixed to the under surface of arcuate member 3d and adapted toy be positioned within telescope compartment 62- when the instrument isr assembied, is a of spaced apart parallel guide tubes 33 which are coaxial with a' pairr of` parallel pas-4 sages 35i formed in body 211.', one of which passages is indicated in Fig-ure 5. A delectorV 35, having a pair of integral? legs 35, is pivotally connected to the forward extremity of arcuate member 3?, as indicated at 31".

Reference is now had to-l'igur'e: 6 for an: understanding of the construction of a lever 4U and associated devices for actuating deector 35. Lever idf includes depending bifurcated lug il adapted to receive an upsta'nding. lug 42 carried by body 2l and pivotally coupled thereto by' apin d3. Lever d'9. also includes a. yoke 44 that carries a pair of lateral armsl 45' that register with: andy ride in longitudinal external slots 46 formed in body 2|. Extending upwardly of yoke 44 is an actuating handle ill. As will be apparent fromI an' examination of. Figures 2, 4 and 6, lever et is mounted for oscillation; about anairis that is normal to the axes of passages; 24 and. 25' in body 2l. A reach rod 5t, reciprocable in eachv guide tube 33 and' corresponding guide passage' 3d, is pivotally connected atI its forward end 5|1 to deector 35.' and at its` rearward endA 52 to an arm of lever @il (Figure 6D Rigidly attached to body 22|: and'r projecting rearwardly thereof isa bridge 5'5 that carries a split clamping sleeve 5.6 that isA in' axial align ment with telescope receiving passage 2i4 in. the body. A screw 5l, having a wing head `58, effects clamping engagement and: disengagement b'etween spiit sleeve 66 and. a surgical telescope', generally denoted by numeral. 6.0i. The surgical telescope prei-erably comprises@ a.' tubular stem 6|I that carries an electric lamp t2' atits, forward. end, an objective lens iid' and a` conventiunal.:eye-f piece Sl. The surgicak telescope,Y including' ob@ jecti-ve lens' 632,. may be; thel same-tas or" similar tolr that disclosedin. Reinhold. H1 Wappler et. al"Y Pat ent; 196.8@4911 grantedi August I4; 1'928, and is adapted to command an obliquely forwardzeldr of visioniA Forwardl-y of eyepiece Gli is an aligning' pi'rr 65.' arranged to' beintroduced into' anaperture: 66 iny clamping. `sl'eeve156.

The instrument `above described is adapted to:

be advantageously employed with various types of instrumentalities including a double-ended urethral bougie a boule of the character shown in Figure 4 and comprising a exible shank 61 of woven nylon or other suitable material which is provided with an "olive tip 68 at one extremity and an acorn tip 69 at its other extremity. Either tip of the bougie boule may be inserted into the instrument through guide tube 26 and passage and moved forwardly along compartment 3l until it arrives in the region of fenestra I i. The operator may then direct the leading tip of the bougie boule through fenestra il and to the desired location by actuating lever 40 from the position shown in Figure 2 to that shown in Figure 4 to thereby move reach rods 5l) rearwardly and impart clockwise rotational movement to deflector 35. During this part of the procedure, the operator may observe the position of the leading end of the bougie boule and its relationship to body cavities and passages by viewing the same through telescope Gil in the usual manner.

In Figure 9 there is illustrated an obturator 'N for use with endoscopic sheath lll at the time the latter is being moved into a body passage. The obturator comprises a head 'H having a forwardly curved surface 12 and a recess 13. The recess accommodates thickened portion l2 at the front end of the sheath and permits the accurate positioning of obturator head 1l in fenestra Il. Curved surface 12 is of such conguration as to coact with the fenestrated portion of the sheath and present a smoothly rounded and freely insertable front end to the instrument. Attached to obturator head 'H is a shank 14 that is in turn connected to a handle 'l5 having a frustro-conical forward portion 16 carrying a pair of lateral pins TI which coact with locking unit I1 to effect coupling engagement between the sheath and the obturator.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description; and, it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

I claim:

1. In an instrument of the character described, a body, an endoscopic sheath connected to the body and having a lateral enestra in its forward portion, a member dividing the interior of the sheath into a iirst compartment for the reception of a telescope and a second compartment for the reception of a exible instrumentality, a deector pivotally connected to the forward end of the member for directing an end of the instrumentality through the fenestra, rod means pivotally secured at one end to the deector, a support mounted on the body, and oscillatory means including a lever pivotally connected to the support,

said lever comprising a pair of arms and an actuating handle positioned intermediate the arms, and a pivotal connection between each arm and the other end of the rod means.

2. In an instrument of the character described, a body, an endoscopic sheath connected to the body and having a lateral fenestra in its forward portion, a member dividing the interior of the sheath into a irst compartment for the reception of a telescope and a second compartment for the reception of a flexible instrumentality, a deflector pivotally connected to the forward end of the member for directing an end of the instrumentality through the fenestra, rod means pivotally secured at one end to the deflector, a support mounted on the body, and oscillatory means including a lever pivotally connected to the support, said lever comprising a pair of arms, each of the arms registering with and terminating in a corresponding external slot in the body, and an actuating handle positioned intermediate the arms, and a pivotal connection between each arm and the other end of the rod means.

FREDERICK J. WALLACE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,901,731 Buerger Mar. 14, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 532,236 France Nov. 10, 1921 

